Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan confirmed that the Development Road Project that passes through Iraq will contribute significantly to the well-being and stability of the Middle East region.
Fidan said in his speech today at the tenth conference of the World Turkish Business Council in Istanbul: Energy and transportation corridors cannot be effective and sustainable in the region without Turkey’s participation, and that Turkey is open to any plan that encourages cooperation at a point where three continents meet.
He added: The “Middle Corridor” and the “Development Road” project, which passes through Iraq, reveal Turkey’s central role in terms of connectivity, and that Turkey hopes to move to the implementation phase within months of the (Turkish-Iraqi) Development Road project, which carries great importance for welfare and stability in the Middle East region.
He stated that developments that have profoundly affected the global and geopolitical environment, such as the Russian-Ukrainian war and the Corona pandemic, have proven that the “middle corridor” is a reliable alternative road.
The “Middle Corridor” is an alternative to the Northern Corridor linking China and Europe, and it crosses from Turkey to the Caucasus region, and from there passes through the Caspian Sea to Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, all the way to China.
Fidan stated that Turkey is in a position to diversify its sources and methods and constantly increase its investments in the field of energy, in this period that is witnessing a global energy crisis.
He pointed out that the “Development Road” project was presented during the meetings held by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan with the leaders participating in the G20 summit in the Indian capital, New Delhi, between September 9 and 10, stressing that Turkey is currently preoccupied with the “Development Road” project extending from Basra Governorate in the Gulf all the way to northern Iraq and then Turkey, which will connect Asia to Europe.
Fidan stressed that “Iraq, the Emirates, Turkey and Qatar in particular are holding intensive talks in this regard, and that Erdogan agreed with his Emirati counterpart, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, during a meeting between them, to complete the final official procedures in this project during the next few months, at least in terms of their formulation on paper and put into practice.
Fidan indicated that Turkey informed the Iraqi side of this initial meeting.
India, the United States, Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, France, Germany and Italy have signed a memorandum of understanding to establish the India-Middle East and Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), which aims to increase trade, provide energy resources and improve digital communication. These countries that signed the memorandum of understanding did not make a binding financial commitment, but they agreed to prepare an “action plan” for constructing the corridor within two months.
It is noteworthy that the “Development Road” project, which was announced by Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani late last May, includes the land and railway road extending from Iraq to Turkey and its ports.
Source: National Iraqi News Agency